Tasting Notes: Almond, Brown Sugar, Dark Chocolate
593 Smallholder Producers | Region: Santa Maria, Pitalito, Colombia | Varietal: Caturra, Colombia, Castillo | Mill/Washing Station: On the Farm | Importer: The Coffee Quest | Processing: Washed | Altitude: 1,600–1,900 MASL
Our average cupping score: 85.25
About the Producers
El Nevado del Huila is a communal lot sourced from farmers in Huila, Colombia, living in the shadow of the country's highest volcano. This coffee embodies a profound commitment to the producers. It represents more than just selecting their finest microlots; it is a promise to purchase the entirety of their harvest. Each lot undergoes a rigorous selection process, with multiple cuppings at buying stations and warehouses to ensure only clean, sweet, and high-quality coffees are blended into the final product. The result is an exceptional, approachable cup—a direct tribute to the farmers' dedication and their majestic landscape.
What makes this coffee stand out
Instead of buying only microlots, The Coffee Quest purchases the entire lot. Purchasing a producer's entire coffee lot, regardless of variable quality, is fundamental to ethical and sustainable sourcing. This practice provides farmers with crucial financial security and stability, ensuring they receive a reliable income for their annual harvest. It builds profound trust and long-term partnership, moving beyond a transactional relationship. By committing to the whole lot, buyers absorb risk alongside the producer, enabling them to invest confidently in farm improvements. Ultimately, this model fosters resilience, supports community welfare, and is essential for a truly equitable supply chain, recognizing that a farmer's livelihood depends on selling their entire crop.
Pour over recipe:
Ratio: 18g coffee, 274g water | Grind: Medium-coarse | Water: 200F
0:00 60 g bloom, gentle
0:45 200 g medium height, create agitation
(just before bed dries) 274 very gentle, very slow
Target brew time 3:15
